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Taking aim at the segment-leading Honda Civic, the Kia Forte tries to copy what the compact sedan from Honda does well, and then undercut its price. Does Kia succeed? Cars.com reviewer Mike Hanley takes a big-picture look at the Forte to see how it stacks up, but sometimes that means looking at all those minor details that push one car ahead of another.
The Kia Forte goes straight at the compact sedan champ, the Honda Civic, and tries to match it in all the right areas (mileage, safety features, interior quality) while keeping its price tag lower. How well does the Forte succeed at this? Cars.com reviewer Mike Hanley expounds on what Kia has done well and the areas it needs to improve upon if it wants to catch up to segment leaders.
2010|Kia|Forte
Kia’s newest compact car will cost $13,695, making it the least-expensive compact sedan on the market, replacing the 2009 Kia Spectra.
Competing with vehicles like the Toyota Corolla, Chevrolet Cobalt and Nissan Sentra, the Forte has a base MSRP that’s about $1,000-$1,500 less, on average, than the rest of the segment.
There’s really no content sacrifice at that price, either. Standard features include a CD stereo, MP3 jack and USB input. Bluetooth is also standard on all trims, which is rare for this class.
The Forte comes in LX, EX and sporty SX trim levels. Move up to the EX or SX trim, and you get power windows, keyless entry, air conditioning, a six-speaker surround-sound audio system with steering-wheel controls, and cruise control. The SX comes with a bigger engine and a sport-tuned suspension.
Standard safety equipment on all Forte models includes stability control, antilock brakes and active front head restraints.
Fifteen-inch wheels are standard on the LX, while the EX gets 16s and the SX has 17s.
The EX also comes with an optional Fuel Economy Package that adds a five-speed automatic transmission and low-rolling-resistance tires that help the Forte achieve 27/36 mpg city/highway, for a class-leading 30 mpg combined fuel economy.
Full pricing is provided after the jump:
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